Electrical control circuits



Jan. 13, 1953 KONICK 2,625,676

ELECTRICAL CONTROL. CIRCUITS Filed Feb. 17, 1950 2 SHEETS--SHEET 2 116 140 152 102 106 W (WA/7X04 106 117 14 D V0746 04 114 4 ATTO R N EY INVENTO Patented Jan. 13, 1953 ELECTRICAL CONTROL CIRCUITS Arthur E. Konick, Colling'swood, N. J assignor to Radio Corporation of America, a corporation of Delaware Application February 17, 1950, Serial No. 144,616

13 Claims. 1

This invention relates to control circuits and more particularly to a type of control circuit which may be used with alternating current motors or other alternatingcurrent devices where the current to the load is to be controlled by a control voltage.

In control voltage circuits it is frequently desirable where alternating current loads are employed to be able to control the current taken by the load. One conventional means of control is to use a pair of thyratron or other vaporfilled tubes which are fired during alternate half cycles of the alternations of the source of power. The conventional A. C. control circuits usually require heavy duty transformers and furthermore require that the firing time of both tubes of the pair be controlled in order to assure that each tube conduct for substantially equal portions of time thereby each carrying its fair share of the load current.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a control circuit requiring application of control voltage to only one of a pair of tubes.

It is another object of the invention to improve control circuits utilizing a pair of vapor tubes each conductive for a portion of opposite polarity alternations of an alternating current source.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control circuit in which one of a pair of vapor tubes follows or has its conduction periods controlled by the conduction periods of the other tube to increase or decrease with the conduction periods of the second tube.

A further object of the invention is to obviate the necessity for a heavy duty transformer and further to obviate entirely in some circuits according to the invention the necessity for a transformer through which the load current is drawn.

These and other objects, advantages, and novel features of the invention will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a circuit diagram of one embodiment of the invention in which transformers of comparatively low current carrying capacity may be used; 4

Fig. 2 is a series or idealized wave forms explanatory of the operation of the invention;

Fig. 3 is another embodiment of the invention in which the necessity for a transformer through which load current passes is obviated; and

Fig. 4 is still another embodiment of the in,- vention illustrating its application thereof as a circuit which controls the speed and direction of a two-phase A. C. motor which may be a heavy duty motor.

In accordance with the invention, a pair of tubes has associated with it a circuit which the second tube of the pair to increase or decrea'e conduction periods alternately and in accordance with the increase or decrease respectively of the conduction periods of the first tube of the pair. Thus the conduction periods of the the second tube vary in the same sense as those of the first tube. A first and second tube are connected back-to-back to the load and to a source of alternating current voltage. Ihe first tube has applied to it a control voltage. A control biasing network is connected between the control element and cathode of the second tube and coupled to have developed across the network a voltage tending to make the second tube control element more positive for load current drawn through the first tube and more negative for load current drawn through the second tube. An important feature of the invention is that, by this means, the second tube self-biases itself in response to the conduction periods of the first tube. Thus, tube conduction periods tend to arrive at a condition of equilibrium, whereby said second tube conduction periods preferably are substantially equal to and occur alternately to those of the first tube.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1 a control voltage is applied between a pair of terminals Ill and i2 connected respectively to a cathode Hi and a control element I5 of a first vaporfilled tube l3. The anode 20 of the first tube I8 is connected to a cathode 22 of a second vaporfilled tube 24 through the primaries 25 and 23 of transformers and 32 respectively. The anode 34 of the second vapor-filled tube 24 is connected the the cathode I4 of the first vapors filled tube l8. Thus vapor-filled tubes is and 24 are connected in a relationship which is sometimes conventionally termed backeto-rback, that is, with each anode connected to the cathode of the other tube. From the junction 36 between transformer primaries 26 and 28 a connection is made to a load 38 and the other side or terminal of the load is connected to an alternating current source 58 via terminal 42. The other side of the source 5:! is connected via terminal 44 to the oathode it and anode S4 of vapor-filled tubes l3 and M respectively. The back-to-back connected tube combination l8 and 24, the load 38, and the source are thus serially connected.

The control element 46 of the second vaporfilled tube 24 is connected to an A. C. biasing network 48 comprising resistors 56 and 52 and capacitors 54 and 56. The network 48 is connected through a transformer 58 to the source 46, the primary 66 of the transformer 58 being connected to the pair of terminals 42, 44 and the secondary 62 thereof being connected to the A. C. biasing network 48.

The control element 46 of the second gas filled tube 24 is connected also to a D. C. biasing network 64 comprising a resistor 66 connected in parallel with a capacitor 68 and a rectifying element 69. Power for the generation of the D. C. bias across the D. C. bias network 64 is provided from the source 46 by connection to the secondary 62 of the transformer 58.

A control biasing network I6 is connected to the control element 46 through resistors 66 and 56 by connection to the other terminal of resistor 66. The control biasing network III includes two parallel resistor-capacitor combinations 12 and 14 connected across the secondaries 16 and I8 respectively of the transformers 36 and 32, through rectifying elements 86 and 82 respectively.

In the operation of the circuit of Fig. 1, the control voltage may be alternating voltage the polarity of which initially is such that the voltage at terminal I2 referred to terminal I6 is out of phase with the voltage at terminal 42 referred to the voltage at terminal 44 (which is assumed the same as that at terminal I6). Thus, under such initial conditions, the voltage of control element I6 of the first vapor-filled tube I8 is 180 out of phase with the voltage on the anode 26 of the tube, and the tube does not fire, assuming vthat it is suitably biased or has suitable characteristics. In the initial condition, current from the transformer 58 is rectified by rectifying element 66 to develop a voltage across resistor 66 of D. C. biasing network 64 in such a polarity that the control element 46 of the second tube 24 is made negative with respect to the cathode 22.

Simultaneously there is applied to the control element 46 through the A. C. biasing network 48 an A. C. voltage which is 90 out of phase with the voltage at the anode 34 of the second vaporfilled tube 24.

Under this initial condition, the bias generated in the D. C. biasing network 64 is sufficient to prevent firing of the second gas-filled tube 24. When the control voltage is advanced in phase with respect to the voltage of the source 46. the voltage at the terminal I2 causes the vapor-filled tube I8 to fire at some latter portion of the half cycle during which the anode 26 thereof is positive with respect to the cathode I4. The voltage on the anode 26 with respect to the cathode I4 of the control tube l8 may be represented by the wave form 84 of grapha of Fig. 2, the shaded areas 66 under the wave form representing the periods of conduction of the first vapor-filled tube I8. The second vapor-filled tube 24 has a voltage applied between its anode 34 and cathode 22 which may be represented by the wave form 28 of graph b of Fig. 2.

As the load current flows through the first gas-filled tube I8, it im resses a voltage across the primary of the transformer 36 and develops a voltage in the control biasing network I6 across the resistor-capacitor combination I2 in the polarity shown in Fig. 1 which tends to make the control element 46 more positive with respect to the cathode 22 of the second gas-filled tube 24. The control element 46 in the initial condition mentioned above has had. applied to it a voltage referred to the cathode 22 which may be represented by the solid-line wave form 96 in graph 0 of Fig. 2 and accordingly has that control element voltage increased in a positive polarity as indicated by the dotted curve 92.

The voltage 96 initially applied to the control element 46 is just insufficient to permit any firing of the second gas-filled tube 24, but when the voltage is increased in a positive polarity as indicated by the wave form 92, the second-gasfilled tube fires at some point in its cycle such as the point 94 on the wave form 88, somewhat before the anode voltage referred to the cathode 22 passes through zero in a negative-going direction. The firing of the gas tube 24 draws load current through the primary 28 of transformer 32, the secondary 18 thereby causing a voltage to develop across the network I4 of the polarity shown in Fig. l which tends to make the control element 46 more negative with respect to its cathode 22. Thus the control biasing network I6 is connected to the back-to-back connected tubes I8 and 24 to develop a voltage across the network of a polarity to make the tube 24 fire sooner for the load current drawn through the first tube I8 and to make the second tube 24 fire later for the load current drawn through the second tube 24. A proper choice of circuit parameters and bias voltages which are readily computed from a knowledge of the tube characteristics, not only may be made to cause the second vapor tube 24 to follow the first vapor tube I8 in its conduction periods in the sense that as the periods of conduction of the first tube I8 increase, the periods of conduction of the second tube 24 increase and vice versa, but also the back-to-back connected tubes I8, 24 may be caused to conduct for substantially equal period of time from a no load to a substantially full load condition. The conduction periods of the gas tubes I8 and '24 quickly reach a condition of equilibrium by self-adjustment of the bias on the gas tube 24, so that the latter not only follows the first tube but follows it with substantially equal and alternately occurring conduction periods. The transformer 26 and 32 are preferably of high, for example 106 to 1, secondary to primary turns ratio. Thus the loading of the circuit by the transformers is minimized.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3, a control voltage is applied between the terminals I66 and I62 connected respectively to the cathode I64 and the control element I66 of a first vaporfilled tube I68. The anode H6 and the cathcde I64 of the first vapor-filled tube I68 are connected respectively to the cathode I I2 and the anod I I 4 of a second vapor-filled tube I I6. The anode I I6 and the cathode I I2 are connected to a load I I6 throughacontrol biasing network I26 comprising a parallel-connected resistor I22 and capacitor I24. A source I26 of alternate current voltage is connected through terminals I28 and I36, respectively, to the connected cathode I64 and anode H4 and to the other side of load H6. Thus, the back-to-back-connected vapor-filled tube cornbination I68 and H6, the load I I8, and the source I25 are serially connected. An A. C. biasing network I32 is connected to the source I26 thrcugh the secondary I34 of a transformer I36, the primary I 38 of which is connected across the terminals I23, I36. The A. C. biasing network I 32 is a phase shifting network comprising resistors I46 and I42 and capacitors I44 and I46. A D. C. biasing network I 48 is connected to the secondary I34 of the transformer I36 and includes a rectifying element I50, and a parallel-connected resistor I52 and capacitor In operation, a control voltage which may be a sinusoidal voltage suitably phased with the voltage of the alternating current source I26, applied between terminals Ito and H32 may cause conduction of the vapor-filled tube IiIB over some latter portion of the half cycle during which the anode no is positive with respect to the cathode IIIQ. Conduction of these portions of load current through the vapor-filled tube its causes a D. C. voltage drop across the control biasing network I2i3 in the polarity shown which tends to make the control element H1 or the second vaporfilled tube more positive with respect to the associated cathode H2 of the tube H6. The A. C. biasing voltage applied through the network I32 to the control element I I1 lags by 90 the voltage oi the anode H4 with respect to the cathode I I2. Accordingly, as the control element H1 is made more positive by action of the control biasing network I 29, the tube I It tends to fire at an earlier time in its firing cycle. iring of the vaporfilled tube I It causes a D. C. voltage drop across the control biasing network IZQ in the opposite polarity to that shown, which tend to oppose the voltage set up by the firing of tube Hi3, making the control element of tube IIIS more negative, thereby tending to cause it to fire at a later time in its cycle.

The control biasing network I23 is given a large time constant, which may be 1-50 or more times th period of the alternations of source I26 whereby the voltages developed across the network [is change at a much slower rate than the frequency of the alternating current source I26, and may be considered as substantially D. C. by comparison to the source frequency. The control element It! thus assumes a slowly varying bias which brings tube I I5 into equilibrium in its conduction periods with the vapor filled tube Hi8. ihus, the second vapor-filled tube I'Id tends to follow in its conduction periods th first vapor filled tube I813. The D. C. bias developed across the D. C. biasing network I48 is in the polarity shown and assures that the second tube H6 is biased to be cut off and to have no load current drawn therethrough. under conditions when there is no load current being drawn through the first tube I68. It also assures that when the voltage I on control element II? tends to become slightly more positive that the tube HE begins to carry load current. It will be noted that there is no transformer required in this circuit except the small transformer I345. ducting, the balance maintained is such that there is very little D. C. flowing the load and therefore, the voltage drop across the resistor 222 is and the power lost is small. large time constant of the control network 28 may be secured by using a very large capacity for the capacitor E26 by using. for example, low 13. voltage non polari ed electrolytic capacitors. Two or more of such capacitors ma be connected in parallel, if desired, to assure ample time constant and suflicient capacity to carry the load current alternations with low A. C, voltage drop. A low A. C. voltage drop across the control network IE6 is highly desirable ortant, to assure good operating efficiency, delivery of full voltage to the load motor windings when required, and minimum A. C. losses in the control network.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 4 which is a circuit according to the invention which may be used for the control of the speed and direc- When the tubes are contion of a two phase alternating current motor. A control voltage i applied between the terminals I56 and I58 connected respectively to the control elements I58 and IE2 of the first tubes I64 and I66, respectively of two pairs of vapor-filled tubes. The first tube Ito is connected back-to-back to the second tube I68 of on of the pairs, the anode I10 and cathode I12 of the one pair of tubes and I68 being connected together through a control biasing'network its to one terminal I15 of a Winding I16 of a two-phase A. C. motor I18. The other terminal of winding I16 is connected through a terminal I89 to a source of alternating current I82, the other terminal of which is connected to the cathode I84 and the anode I35 of vapor-filled tubes I64 and IE8, respectively. Thus, the one pair of back-to-back connected vapor-filled tubes I86 and IE3, the motor winding I16, and the source I32 are serially connected. An A. C. biasing network I38 is connected between the control element IQ!) of the second vapor-filled. tube I58 and the terminal I35. A resistor I32 is connected between the phase shifting A. C. biasing network I323 and the common terminal of the source I532. The other pair of vapor-filled tubes I65 I9 3 are connected in a circuit like that connecting the one pair I34, I58. The interconnections of the second pair I66 and I24 include a control biasing network IfiG, a phase shifting A. C. network I93 and a resistor 2&8 which are similar to and for like functions, respectively to the network lit, the network I35 the resistor I92.

From the operation of the one pair of tubes I5 3, I68, operation of the circuit will be apparent. The control voltage may have the same frequency as the voltage of source I82 and its phase may be such as to cause vapor-filled tube I64 to fire at some point in its cycle. In this event, the control voltage will not cause vapor-filled tube I56 to fire. When tube Ibd carries a current, this load current is drawn through the control biasing network I'M developing a bias voltage across he"- work Iid in the polarity shown. This bias vol"- age tends to make the control element IQ?) of the second tube I58 of the one pair of tubes to become more positive with respect to its cathode 1E. The voltage at terminal I15 is phase shifted by the A. C. biasing network I88 to impress a voltage on control element I96 which lags in phase by 99 the voltage of the anode IE6 with respect to the cathode I12. Therefore, the increase in voltage across the network I14 tends to make tube I68 fire at an earlier time in its cycle the current carried through the tube I86 tends to self-bias the tube to carry the current at a later time in its cycle. The tube I68, therefore, reaches a condition of equilibrium in which its conduction periods follow those of the first tube IE4 of the one pair I64, I68. The motor I13, therefore, turns in the direction of rotation which will be caused by current through the winding S16 through the series combination of capacitor ace and winding 283. The other pair of tubes I65, I94 operate in a like manner when they are carrying current, but the motor I13 turns in the opposite direction because the capacitor 202 is eirective in series with winding I15. When the tubes I64, I63 are carrying current, it is, of course, desired that the tubes IE5, I MI do not carry current. The tube I65 does not carry current because the control voltage does not fire it. The cathodes I 88, I53 of the first tubes I54 and I36 are connected together and the anodes I and I95 of the second tubes are connected together. Signal is applied to control elements I60, I62 in opposite phase, but the anode voltages are in phase. Thus when one of the first tubes I64, I66 is fired, the other is quiescent and not fired. The tube I 94 will fire occasionally when the tube IE6 is not fired causing a spike of current to pass through the tube ld l which current delevops a biasing voltage across network 95 which prevents the tube I94 fromagain firing for several or many cycles. The inertia of the system is such that this current causes'no difficulty in the operation of the system andis so small in comparison with the current being carried by the one pair of tubes I64 and IE8 that its intermittent passage through tube His is negligible. A further advantage of the A. C. biasing networks I88 and I98 lies in the fact that as heavy currents are drawn through the windings of the motor I 78 which have the phasing capacitor 202 connected across them, there is usually a phase shift of the voltage across the windings which may tend to cause spurious firing of the following tube on the quiescent side. By taking the bias for tubes IE8 and I94 from the voltage that is shifting in phase, the correct relationship between grid and anode voltages is maintained.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the control circuit described herein obviates the necessity for heavy duty transformers, simplifies the circuitry, and permits the second of a pair of tubes to follow in conduction period the first tube of the pair, and utilizes simple, readily obtained components.

What is claimed is:

l. A control circuit comprising first and second vapor discharge tubes each having an anode, a cathode, and a control element and connected back-to-back with each anode to the cathode of the other tube, a load, means for connecting a source of alternating current of known frequency, said load, and said back-to-back connected tube combination serially, a control biasing network connected in biasing relationship between said second tube cathode and control element and connected to have a biasing voltage developed across said network of one polarity for lead current drawn through one of said tubes and of the other polarity for load current drawn through the other of said tubes, and further means to impress an alternating current biasing signal on vapor discharge tubes each having an anode, a C

cathode, and a control element and connected back-to-back with each anode to the cathode of the other tube, a load, means for connecting a source of alternating current of known frequency, said load, and said back-to-back connected tubes serially, a control biasing network connected in biasing relationship between said second tube cathode and control element and connected to having a biasing voltage developed across said network of one polarity for load current drawn through one-of said tubes and of the other polarity for load current drawn through the other of said tubes, said network including a resistor network across which the said voltages of opposite polarity are numerically subtracted and also including capacitors in parallel with the resistors of said resistor network the time constant of said network being greater than a period of the alternations of said source, whereby the conduction periods of said second tube tend to vary in the same sense with that of said first tube.

4. The circuit claimed in claim 1, said D.-C.

iasing network comprising a parallel connected resistor and capacitor.

5. The circuit claimed in claim 1, said biasing network being coupled to the load current by transformer coupling.

6. The circuit claimed in claim 1, further comprising an auxiliary D.-C. bias supply to the grid of said second tube.

7. A control circuit comprising first and second vapor discharge tubes each having an anode, a cathode and a control element and directly connected back-to-back with each anode to the oathode of the other tube, a load, a parallel connected resistor capacitor network connected between the directly connected anode of said first tube and cathode of said second tube and said load, means to connect an alternating current source between said load and the directly connected cathode of said first tube and anode of said second tube, and a D.-C. connection from the junction between said resistor capacitor network and said lead to the control element of said second tube, whereby said second tube conduction periods occur alternately and are substantially equal to those of said first tube.

8. A control circuit comprising first and second vapor discharge tubes each having an anode, a cathode, and a control element and connected back-to-back, two transformers each having a primary winding with one terminal of one said primary connected to said first tube anode and with one terminal of the other said primary connected to said second tube and with the other said primary terminals connected together at a junction, a load having two terminals said load terminal being connected to said junction, means to connect an alternating current source between the other said load terminal and said first tube cathode and said second tube anode, and a biasing network connected in biasing relationship between said second tube control element and cathode and to the secondaries of said transformers to make said second tube control element more positive for current drawn through said first tube and more negative for current drawn through said second tube, whereby said second tube conduction periods occur alternately and are substantially equal to those of said first tube.

9. A control circuit comprising first and second vapor discharge tubes each having an anode, a cathode and a control element and directly connected back-to-back with each anode to the cathode of the other tube, a parallel connected resistor capacitor network having two terminals one connected to one of said connected anode and cathodes, a load, and means to connect a source of alternating current voltage serially with said tubes, said network, and said lead, and a 11-6. connection from the otherterrninal of said network to that particular control element of that tube of the cathode of which said network one terminal is conneected, whereby said second tube'conduction periods occur alternately and are substantially equal to those of said first tube.

10. The circuit claimed in claim 9, further comprising means to impress an alternating current'voltage on said particular control element.

11. A control circuit comprising first and secand vapor discharge tubes each having an anode, a cathode and a control element and directly connected back-to-back with each anode to the cathode of the other tube, a load, a parallel connected resistor capacitor network, means to connect an alternating current source, said load, said tubes, and said network in a series circuit, a connection means to impress the direct current voltage developed by the flow of current through said tubes and said network between the cathode and control element of one of said tubes, and means to impress a control voltage between the cathode and control element of the other said tube.

12. The circuit claimed in claim 11, further comprising means to apply an alternating current voltage of the same frequency as that of said source between the cathode and control element of said one tube.

13. The circuit claimed in claim 9, the time constant of said network being greater than a period of the alternation of said source.

ARTHUR. E. KONICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Ser. No. 246,825, abandoned application of Wolf 20 (A. P. C.), published May 18, 1943. 

